The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-15

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alienable rights. " ~ = ~ y bol1isoa - 1
system which compeas then q ~ thelz
fellow creaturesfbr u - q 0odS an - "
and permits moncpclios e oerG1ye hboe q
It's natural opportunities n enyioynent
and bringing about a unnoapr0 ceanpeet
ton, which tends to reduce Wa6eg 70 slafyn,
tion rates and to make the Wealt pIoducez
the industrial slave ofthess who g5ow rieh
by his toll.
Holding, moreover. that the advlntaee1
arising nom social growth and improvement
belong to society arlaEgA " aim at theabol.
ition the system which mskessueh benen-
cent inventions a. the EaiIruad and telegraph
means for the oppression Of the people ard
the aggrandizement Of an aristocracy Of
wealth and power.
We declare the uepuFpose Of government
TO be the maintenance Of that sacred right Of
property which gives to every one opportu-
nifty to employ his labor and security that he
shall enjoy its fruits; TO prevent the strong
from oppresSing the weak and the unssrupu-
lous from robbing the honest; andto DO for
the equal benent OF all such things ~ can be
better done by organised society than by in
dividuals; and we aim at the abolition Of all
laws which give to any class Of citizens m ad-
vantage. either judicial, financial, industrial
or political, that are not equally shared by
all others.
We call upon all who seek the emancipation
oflabor and who would make the American
Union and Its component states democratic
commonwealths Of really nee and independ-
ent citizens, to ignore all minor differences
and join with us in organizing great ma
tional paaty on this broad platform Of nat
ural right and equal justice.
We do not aim at securing any forced
equality in the distribution Of wealth. We
do not propose that the state shall attemptto to
control production, conduct distribution, or
in anywise interfere with the equal rights Of
others. Nor do We propose that the state
shall take possession Of land and either work
1t or rent 1t out.
What we propose is not the disturbing Of
any man in his holding or title, but by abol-
ishing alltaxes on industry or it, products
to leave to the producer the full fruits Of his
exertioD, and by taxation Of land values to
the exclusion Of Improvements, to devote to
the common use those values which, arising
not from exertion Of the individual, but nom
growth Of society, belong to the community
as whole. This Increased taxation Of land,
not according to its area, but according to its
value, must, while relieving working farmers
and small homestead owners Of the undue
burdens now imposed upon them, make 1t
Improbable to hold land forspeculation, and
thus throw open abundant opportunities for
the employment Of labor and the building up
of homes.
While thus simplifying government. by
doing away with horde Of officials required
by the present system Of taxntion, with its
incentives to fraud and corruption. we would
further promote Uncommon veal and fur
ther secure equal rights ofall by placing un.
der public control such agencies as are in
their nature monopolies. We would have
our municipalities supply their Inhabitants
with water, light and heat; we would have
the general government issue all money with
out the Intervention Of banks; we wewouldadd
postal telegraph system and postal savings
banks to the postal service, and would as
sumo public control and ownership Of those
iron roads which have become highways of
modern commerce.
While declaring the foregoing to be the fun
damental principles and aims of the United
Labor Party, and while conscious that no re-
form can give effectual and permanent relief
10 labor that does not involve legal recogni-
tion of equal rights to natural opportunities,
We nevertheless as measures of relief from
some of the evil effects Of ignoring those
rights, favor such legislation as may tend to
reduce the hours of labor, to prevent employ
ment of children Of tender years, to avoid
competition Of convict labor with honest in
dustry, to secure sanitary inspection of tene-
ments, factories and mines, and to put an
end to the abuse ofthe conspiracy laws.
We desire also to simplify The procedure Of
our courts, and diminish the expenses of le-
gal proceedings, that the poor may be placed
on an equality with the rich, and the long
delays which now result In such scandalous
miscarriages Of justice may be prevented; |;
and since the ballot Is the only means by
which, in our republic, the redress Of political
anu nOCidA 6iiCvo1Cc6 10 W Oc bOukut, we
especially and emphatically declare for the
adoption Of what is known as the "Austra-
liam system Of voting" in order that the
effectual secrecy Of the ballot and the relief
ofcandidates for public offices from the heavy
expenses now imposed upon them may pre-.
vent bribery and intimidation, do away with
the practical discrimination in favor of the
rich and the interruptions. and lessen the
pernicious influence of money in politics.
In support of these aimsw we solicit the CO.
operation Of all patriotic citizens who, sick
of the degradation Of politics, desire by con-
stitutional methods to establish justice, to
preserve liberty, to extend the spirit offrater-
nifty, and to elevate humanity.
PLATFORM OF THE PROGRESSIVE
LABOR PARTY.
At meeting held in Webster
Hall, New York, September 8,
representatives from labor organi-
cations throughout the state of
New York unanimously adopted